Arousal – Passage To Impulsive Purchase - Exploring The Driving Factors Through TikTok Short Marketing Videos

In the age of swiftly evolving digital technology, social media platforms, particularly TikTok, significantly influence consumer behavior. TikTok's unique features - its highly personalized "For You" algorithm, rapid short-form content, and sound-on design - intensify users' emotional arousal and reduce cognitive processing time, thereby reinforcing the arousal-impulse pathway more effectively than platforms like Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts. These attributes foster an entertainment-focused environment where emotional engagement rapidly translates into impulsive behavior, highlighting TikTok's distinctive design impact on impulse buying behaviors. A quantitative methodology was utilized for this research, including a survey featuring a 5-point Likert scale. The survey was conducted online utilizing a convenience sampling technique. The sample size consists of 350 respondents in Vietnam, aged 18 to 30. The respondents are TikTok users who participate in online buying using this platform. Subsequent to screening, the data were evaluated utilizing Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), conducted with SmartPLS 3. The findings demonstrated that elements like entertainment, perceived usefulness, and aesthetic design in TikTok short marketing videos have positive effects on young consumers’ impulsive purchase intentions. Notably, this research has demonstrated the major mediation role of the affective factor - perceived enjoyment - in the transition to impulsive purchasing.